Dwelling House of Hope Inc

Dwelling House of Hope (DHH) is a 501 (C) (3) non-profit organization that seeks to empower men and women with the right tools and opportunities, needed to birth their vision into something that contributes to the betterment of society.

Our Mission

To compassionately alleviate poverty among people in need and assist in the recovery from drug abuse; treating those we serve with dignity and respect. We seek not only to address a person's immediate needs but also to raise them to self-sufficiency.

Vision

Our Vision is to reach out to men, women and youths who have lost their sense of dignity, confidence, self-esteem and pride, due to abuse (physical or mental), homelessness, drug addiction, hunger or simply lack of love. We envision a society where men, women and youths can fully live out their dreams in a non-judgmental environment, and becoming all that God has created them to be.

Our Purpose

Our Purpose is to meet the spiritual, physical and emotional needs of men, women and youths in our community. Dwelling House of Hope fosters and encourages partnerships to provide people with the right tools and skills needed to empower them. Our hope is that everyone who comes in contact with Dwelling House of Hope will have an unforgettable encounter of encouragement and hope, as we reflect on the power and grace of God. Relationships do not just happen; they are nurtured and produced through love and sincere affection. God has revealed His love to us through His Son, and it is our passion to share that love through genuine care and concern for others.

Core Values

Quality: We are committed to excellence in services, products and operation.

People: We will treat all people with respect, dignity and courtesy. We will work to provide an inclusive environment where everyone can work and learn together. 

Stewardship: We will use our resources wisely, with accountability to our donors, supporters and the public.

Integrity: We will be honest and fair in our dealings with others.

Collaboration: We are appreciative of our community partners, donors, volunteers and employees for their commitment and support.

Dwelling House of Hope Zero Tolerance To Racism

I am writing to reiterate Dwelling House of Hope’s sentiments regarding racism and white supremacy. And, on behalf of all of us at Dwelling House of Hope, I would again like to express our condolences to families, friends, and colleagues of those who lost their lives through the brutal hands of police.

Dwelling House of Hope serves a multi racial community with a policy built on the principle of Love. We do not discriminate based on color of the skin, race, religious affiliation, gender or creed.

Because Dwelling House of Hope is built on Love, as clarified by Saint Paul in 2 Corinthians 13:4-5 when he said, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” NIV

For many years, Dwelling House of Hope has maintained its founding philosophy of giving love in its purest form. Dwelling House of Hope will continue to treat all people with respect, dignity and courtesy.

The staff of Dwelling House of Hope is a blend of different races and color spreading unconditional love, that has teamed up together to give memorable experiences to the people they serve.

I commend our volunteers for excelling during these tough times of the unrest caused by the senseless killing of Mr. Floyd by police and the coronavirus pandemic. Despite that we’re short-handed, we are amazingly able to extend our services beyond our boundaries to include those working tirelessly to combat COVID-19.

I conclude by saying, “Let the Dwelling House of Hope continue to pass on love -the godly contagious virus of the day- and aid in the eradication of racism and white supremacy.

Sincerely,

Levenia Furusa

Executive Director, Dwelling House Of Hope

Our Team

Levenia

Levenia Furusa Mavingire - Executive Director

Levenia Furusa received her degree in Business Management from the University of Zimbabwe. Levenia moved to the US in 1995. She worked with various group homes as well as nursing homes. It was there where she saw many working families in need. While working she obtained her degree in Human Services from University of Massachusetts Lowell. She worked at Lifelinks in a Self-Directed Team for 8 years before she moved to Fidelity House Human Services where she worked for 13 years as a Managing Director, assisting in hiring and training employees.

Levenia is a founding Board member and President of the Lowell African Cultural Association, which hosts the annual Lowell African Festival. She is certified as an intensive foster care provider and works with children through the Department of Children and Social Services. She has been certified as a trainer by American Red Cross in First Aid, CPR/AED and Responding to Emergencies. She also has a certificate from Servsafe for food safety and teaches cooking classes. She is certified by MA Alliance in Sober Housing to open and run a sober house. She is also a COVID-19 compliance officer. In 2020, she was awarded the Inaugural Greater Lowell Community Foundation's Community Connector Award in recognition for her work in the community. The City of Lowell also recognized her for going beyond simply operating a food pantry, while serving immigrants and refugees in Lowell.

For anyone who knows Levenia Furusa Mavingire; when they hear about her, the first thing that comes to mind is a scene of her running or driving children to or from school, or, a scene of her feeding the destitute on the streets of Lowell.
If there are people who get involved in their communities; say ‘kudos’ to this woman.    Levenia is something else.   Levenia is a people person.  You find her in church bringing sandwiches for the congregation every Sunday morning; or at a women’s gathering giving them some hope and encouragement; or at a school discussing with a teacher about one of her foster children’s needs; or attending one of the city council town meetings.  Believe you me; the list of activities Levenia is involved in goes on and on.  Many times she is driving her big box truck written Dwelling House of Hope (Helping Hands) on both sides. Levenia has a lot of energy, sometimes we wonder where she get all that energy from.
Levenia moved to Lowell MA from Zimbabwe in 1995.  Even in Zimbabwe she was always giving someone a helping hand.
There are many attributes Levenia got from her father, Mr. John Furusa, who was a missionary in Zimbabwe, Africa.  He was a man of everyone in need.  A man who loved God and spent most of his life being a businessman and doing God’s work at the same time.  Mr. Furusa gave his money away.  He gave his love and time to people he served.  So is this lovely lady; just like her dad.  By the time she leaves this world, Levenia is sure to leave a legacy.
Levenia initially studied Business; but like most people she found that she was not quite in her niche and switched to Human Services.
-Pastor Paaj
Suzanne 1

Suzanne Grapperhaus

Suzanne helps with office management, data collection and grant writing. Suzanne received her PhD in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Illinois. In addition to volunteering with Dwelling House of Hope, she also serves as board president of TCNE (Trans Community New England).

Leslie Montanez

Leslie manages pickup and delivery of food through our agency partners. She also assists with data entry and organization of the food pantry.

Joshua Geggis

Joshua drives, loads and unloads our truck and helps with the management of our warehouse.

Jonathan Velez

Joshua drives, loads and unloads our truck and helps with the management of our warehouse.